Mint is one of the most fragrant spicy additives, without which you can hardly do in the kitchen. In addition, tea from mint leaves will suit any gourmet. In addition, mint, regardless of the type, is one of the best traditional medicines, the main component in decoctions that are intended to heal from diseases. In this regard, consumers often wonder how to keep the mint fresh for the winter. The best way to achieve this goal is to freeze mint, the main secrets and methods of which will be discussed.
- Advantages of the method
- When is it best to collect
- Preparing to freeze
- Ways to freeze
- Whole leaves
- Whole twigs
- Finely chopped
- In ice cubes
- Shelf life
- How to use
Advantages of the method
Hearing about freezing fragrant spicy plants, many people ask almost a rhetorical question, is it possible to freeze mint at all. We affirm that it is not only possible, but necessary, since the freezing of this culture has many benefits, if we compare this process with drying:
- Frozen twigs or leaves of the culture fully retain their flavor and taste.
- In the process of freezing, a mint vitamin complex is preserved, which brings invaluable benefits to the human body.
- Frost is a unique opportunity to enjoy fragrant tea from fresh mint in the winter time, decorate it with leaves of fresh salads and desserts.
- The color of the thawed leaves of the culture is saturated and bright, which cannot be achieved by drying.
- This method of storing fragrant spices is absolutely simple and accessible to everyone, does not require material and time costs.
When is it best to collect
Often, people complain that they adhered to all the conditions for preparing this magic potion, but the effect was not the same: mint tea is almost devoid of an attractive aroma. The thing is, the culture was collected at the wrong time. The optimal period for collecting mint - flowering stage. It was at this time in the leaves, inflorescences and shoots of the plant that most of the essential oils, menthol and nutrients accumulate, which are, among other things, the producers of saturated odor.
If you want to prepare the leaves of the culture, they must be collected before flowering, at the stage of making inflorescences. Wanting to prepare whole stems, cut them just at the time of flowering, which occurs in late July - early August.
Preparing to freeze
The process of preparing mint for freezing is quite simple: collected healthy leaves and culture stems need to be thoroughly washed under running water. Clean the workpiece should be laid out on a towel, or put in a colander so that it dries well.
Ways to freeze
Freezing mint raw materials is a fairly new process that has recently begun to be resorted to. Despite this, there are many ways to freeze crops: whole leaves, sprigs, finely chopped and in ice cubes. The last option - a godsend for those who are wondering how to freeze the mint for the winter for "Mojito".
Whole leaves
For this method of freezing you will need to select only healthy mint leaves, without damages and stains. Blank leaves must be packaged in plastic containers or small cans and place in the freezer. To preserve the integrity of the leaves are best suited banks. It is not recommended to freeze the leaves in bags, as they will lose their attractiveness.
To freeze mint leaves for the winter as a whole is the best solution that will allow using an aromatic plant in the winter both for tea and for desserts.
Whole twigs
In addition to the leaves, you can also freeze whole mint twigs. Collected branches of the plant inspect, clean and wash. After drying, they are wrapped in plastic wrap, foil or a regular plastic bag, trying not to squeeze the branches, and placed in the freezer.
Finely chopped
This method is not often resorted to, since it is believed that in the process of grinding the mint raw material loses its amazing flavor and juice, in which the beneficial trace elements are concentrated.
However, this is the best way to mint. The collected raw materials are crushed (you can cut with a knife, and you can use a blender or a food processor). The resulting product must be decomposed into small molds and frozen, after which, already frozen spice, poured into a more dense package and sealed.
In ice cubes
Ice cubes with mint leaves are a great way to mint for flavored drinks and cocktailsin particular, "Mojito". We recommend a fairly easy recipe for how to freeze mint in cubes.
To implement this technique, ice containers or small silicone molds will be needed, in which mint leaves are placed and poured with cooled boiled water, so that the edges of the leaves are in the water.After this, the containers are placed in a freezer. When the cubes are frozen, they can be poured into a large package for easy storage.
Shelf life
There is no exact shelf life for mint. To understand that this period is expiring, it is possible by the way the product will lose its taste and aroma.
How to use
Frozen mint is the best ingredient for making fragrant healing tea during the winter, which will not only act soothingly, but also help to defeat the common cold, problems with the digestive tract and other diseases. Crushed mint leaves are an integral component of favorite homemade treats: both desserts and main courses. Frozen mint is used for cooking meat, vegetables, salads, soups, fish dishes, various casseroles.
Mint ice cubes are an excellent aromatic additive to almost any cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), a fragrant component of fresh, smoothie or plain compote. For the cocktail "Mojito" you need to select the most beautiful leaves.
Now you know how to freeze mint for the winter. This technique will allow not only to pamper loved ones and guests with delicacies and mint-flavored dishes, but also to stock up on an invaluable amount of vitamins and healthy substances for the winter.